Posted 3-1-2019 (Dated 2-26-2019) How to easily submit testimony to Legislature for future education-related initiatives.

FEBRUARY 26, 2019 We need your help! Submit testimony now to fund our public schools Your testimony is essential! You can submit testimony online by creating an account on the Hawaii State Legislature's website here. You do not need to attend the hearing in person. Click on the word Register in the top-right corner to create an account. Fill in your information, check the box marked "I understand and agree to the terms above," and click on Create User. A confirmation email will be sent to your email address. Check the email and follow the link to confirm your account. In the Search column, under Bill Status/Measure Status, search for "SB1474." Click on the Submit Testimony button. In the next window, on the left, click Continue. Make sure you check the box that says Support.  Indicate whether you plan to be at the hearing or not. Check Individual (which means you are testifying as an individual citizen). Copy and paste your testimony in the text field or attach it as a document. We've provided a sample testimony below—fill in your name, position, school, district, island, and a personal story if you so choose—but feel free to write your own! Hit Submit. Click here for step-by-step instructions with visuals. You can also email your testimony directly to WAMtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov. During the legislative session, we usually receive just 48 hours notice about committee hearings, leading to our urgent, last-minute testimony requests. You can use the sample testimony below, but be sure to fill out all of the bolded fields that call for your personal details. Feel free to revise it to make it your own! Do not cut and paste this testimony as is. TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS RE: SB 1474 SD1 RELATING TO TAXATION Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. Chair Dela Cruz and Members of the Committee: My name is [INSERT NAME]. I am a [TEACHER/COMMUNITY MEMBER] at [INSERT SCHOOL] in [INSERT DISTRICT] on [INSERT ISLAND]. I am submitting testimony in support of SB 1474 SD1 to increase funding for public schools and the University of Hawaii by increasing the GET by 1/2 percent. It's a small price to ask for the future of our keiki. Our children are our future. When teachers instruct their students, [WE/THEY]build the foundation for equality and prosperity for tomorrow’s generations. Every dollar invested in our community’s public schools yields exponential returns, not just for our economy, but for the promise of a more open and democratic society. Supporting this proposal will lift our public schools in Hawaii into the 21st century. A vote for this measure is a vote for the funding we need to lower class sizes that allow teachers to connect with their students, provide whole child education that includes the arts and Hawaiian studies, provide resources and services for students with special needs, and provide professional pay that reflects the value of our hardworking teachers. [OPTIONAL: Insert a paragraph or two that begins with the line "We need additional funding for our public schools, because..." You can tell your personal story or share an anecdote about how lack of funding affects your children/students/community, how low pay and a lack of resources are driving teachers in your schools out of the profession, how teachers have to hold second and third jobs when they should be able to concentrate on their students after school, how investing in our public schools is an investment in our society/future.] To deliver the schools our keiki deserve, please support this bill. We need your help. Mahalo. [INSERT NAME, DISTRICT, ISLAND] _______________________________________________________________ Noted by JOY GRABAR: I posted this too late for teacher to act on this initiative; thus, this section of the post was moved to the second half of the announcement.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association's Government Relations Committee needs your testimony ASAP for Senate Bill 1474. RELATING TO TAXATION. Increases the general excise tax and use tax by 0.5% to provide a dedicated funding source for the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii. Takes effect on 7/1/2050. (SD1) Version SD1 would provide additional funding, 80 percent to public schools and 20 percent to the University of Hawaii, through a half-percent increase in the general excise tax (GET). The bill will be heard in the Senate Ways and Means Committee this Thursday, Feb. 28, at 10:30 a.m. View the hearing notice here. Please submit your testimony before Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 10:30 a.m. (24 hours prior to the hearing) for it to be considered on-time testimony.